1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computing systems and, in particular, to modular computing systems whose components may be interconnected in various configurations to perform different functions.
2. Related Art
There is an increasing need for computer systems that are powerful, mobile, and inexpensive. In conventional computer systems, however, there is typically a tradeoff between computing power and mobility, and implementing both increased power and increased mobility within a single system typically results in increased cost. As a result of this tradeoff, most users use a relatively large and immobile computer system, such as a conventional desktop computer system, for applications requiring maximum computing power, and one or more mobile computing systems (such as a cellular telephone and/or a personal digital assistant) for applications where mobility is required. Use of such a multiplicity of computing systems can result in a variety of problems. For example, it can be costly to purchase and maintain several computing devices for performing different functions. It can also be burdensome to travel with several mobile computing devices due to their combined size and weight. The need to store the same or similar data (such as an address book) in several mobile computing devices often requires the user to manually enter such data into each computing device, increasing the amount of time spent by the user performing data entry and increasing the likelihood of inconsistent data across computing devices. It can also be difficult to learn and remember how to use the multiple user interfaces provided by different mobile computing devices.
The above-referenced patent application entitled “Modular Computing System” discloses techniques for avoiding at least some of these problems by providing a computing system in which components may be interconnected in various configurations to perform different functions. The components of such a system may be reconfigured to attain the same form factors as and perform the same functions as a variety of conventional computing devices, such as a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet computer. Such a system may perform the same functions and provide the same benefits as conventional computing devices more efficiently in terms of cost and size, and without requiring the cumbersome redundant data entry and inconsistent user interfaces described above.
Such a modular computing system presents new opportunities and challenges for re-use of existing system components to perform different functions in different configurations in order to increase the flexibility and power of the system overall. Enabling existing components to perform new functions in different configurations of the system furthers the goal of providing a computing system that is powerful, flexible, portable, and inexpensive.
What is needed, therefore, are improved modular computing systems in which components may be interconnected in various configurations to perform different functions.